Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait (Printable)

Creamy layers of cheesecake filling, fresh strawberries, and crumbly cookies come together in elegant cups.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cheesecake Layer

01 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
02 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Strawberry Layer

05 - 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
06 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
07 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice

→ Cookie Crumble

08 - About 8 digestive biscuits or graham crackers, crushed
09 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

# How to Make It:

01 - In a medium bowl, toss the diced strawberries with sugar and lemon juice. Let sit for 10 minutes to soften and release juices.
02 - Combine the crushed biscuits with melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand.
03 - Beat cream cheese, heavy cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until smooth and fluffy.
04 - Spoon a layer of cookie crumble into the bottom of each dessert cup, followed by a layer of cheesecake filling and a spoonful of macerated strawberries.
05 - Add a second layer of cookie crumble, cheesecake filling, and finish with strawberries on top.
06 - Refrigerate the assembled cups for at least 1 hour to set and develop flavors.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Zero baking required, which means you can make these while having an actual conversation instead of obsessing over oven temperatures.
  • The tartness from the lemon and strawberries cuts through the richness in the most satisfying way.
  • They look like you took half the day to make them, but they're genuinely just twenty minutes of real work.
02 -
  • Softened cream cheese is non-negotiable; cold cream cheese will lump up and no amount of mixing fixes it—let it sit on the counter for thirty minutes.
  • Don't skip the maceration step with the strawberries; those ten minutes of juices pooling is where the magic happens, and it costs you nothing.
03 -
  • If your cream cheese is still a little firm, cut it into small chunks before beating—it softens faster and mixes more evenly than trying to break down a cold block.
  • The strawberry juice is your friend; don't drain it off completely before layering—that little bit of liquid is what keeps everything from feeling dry.
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